Sign holder and post therefor



Jan. 8, 1

SIGN HOLDER AND POST THEREFOR Filed March 2, 1949 IN MI :IM 27 IIIHIH ToR FRflN/f miss:

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Patented Jan. 8, 1952 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,581,762

' SIGN HOL ER AND Pos'r THEREFOR Frank Hesse,Hackensack, N. J. Application March 2, 19i 9',.se ri mo. 79,163

' My invention supplies a long existing need for a simple, sturdy and portable device for the interchangeable display of card board or similar signs out of doors. It is necessary or desirable that many types of business, such, for a few examples only, as real estate agents,'contractors, artisans, municipalities, nurserymen, and many others have weather proof means which may be readily installed in the ground to display any one of a plurality of different interchangeable signs and then be easily removed and put to use in new locations. My invention meets such needs. In its essence it'consists of a flat plate which is supported upon or formed integrally with a sharpened post preferably supplied with a cross bar which renders easy its insertion in the: ground and supports it more firmly therein. This plate, for which in practiceI have found aluminum and various non-rustingsteel alloys very satisfactory, is preferably but not necessarily rectangular. Each'of three of the edges is turned in the same direction as the other two, first at right angles to the body of the plate and then again at right angles and toward each other and parallel to the plane of the plate, thereby forming a holding slide or. groove. A fourth edge is turned only at right-angles to this main surface and in the same directionas that in which the other edges are turned thereby form-.- ing a retaining flange. If a plate is used which is not rectangular, two edges embodying slides are disposed opposite to each other.

. An important feature of'this invention is that two of the corners of the plate, each disposed between an end of the retaining flange and an Claims. (01.40-17) area.

- whole.

For example, a real estate dealer using my invention will drive the post of one of my holders into the ground, preferably by the simple expedient of standing upon a cross bar which preferably is provided thereon, before a house adjacent end of a slide, are cutoff-so as to form convenient finger holds by means of which a user can readily pull out an edge of a card board sign which has been inserted within the sleeves, lift it up over the edge-of the retaining flange, thereby bending it slightly, and then pull it out, all in a matter of seconds and all without injury to the cardboard sign which has been thus used and is available for re-use. Insertion of a fresh sign is equally simple. A user merely places the leading edge of the sign in the ends of, the-slide nearer the flange with the body of the sign resting on the edge of the retaining flange and slides it into place, the resilience of the cardboard causing the trailing end when released to find its place parallel to the plate .and just within the fourth or retaining flange.

One characteristic of my invention is that the plane surface of the body of the holder and the which has been listed by him for sale. He will then insert a for sale sign simply by pushing it into the slides and letting it snap into position when its trailing edge has cleared the right angled or retaining flange. Then when the house has been sold he places his fingers back of the sign in the'opening conveniently provided therefore, pushes the edge away from the plate sufficiently to clear the right angled flange, and pulls the sign out. Then he inserts another sign, for example reading sold. If the new owner wishes to lease the dwelling instead of living in it the real estate agent thereupon takes out the sold sign and inserts a for rent placard. When the rental has been efiectuated he removes that sign and substitutes one which says rented. Such examples might be indefinitely multiplied.

The alternative to the use of my invention is to nail a sign to a tree, post or structure, often damaging such a support, violating municipal ordinances, and rendering the sign unfit for further use. Or, a person who wishes to post a notice of this kind may go to the relatively great trouble and expense and take the time necessary to set a post. In either such case, often the sign is not properly displayed because of the shape of the support or he must meet the added cost in money and annoyance of first attaching a board to the post. My invention is a cheap, efiicient and simple susbtitute.

' Another use to which my invention is well adapted is for relatively small signs or labels for use in gardens, nurseries and the like or other places in whichit is desirable to place signs, labels or other descriptive matter adjacent trees, shrubs or flowers, with opportunity to make changes from time to time, and to use the same 'insertable cards are of substantially. thesarne u holders in different locations. In such cases I may prefer to form my holder, which is relative- 1y small in size, out of a single piece of metal. Thus I obtain a structure which is both economical and inexpensive. There is no material difference in construction except that for such use the portion of the lower slide is omitted adjacent the area of the plate from which the post projects downwardly from the body of the holder. This 'omisjsiefi is unimportant so far as the operation of the holder is concerned but per mits the entire structure to be cheaply stamped from one piece of sheet metal without welding or riveting. Generally but not necessarily it is desirable to omit the cross baisince this s'friall structure can readily be pushed into ground of ordinary consistency by merely grasping it at the top. Or such a holder my be made of weather-proof plastic.

permits such normal movement but prevents movement in a plane parallel to the plate but permits movement away from the display position in a plane closely parallel to that of the plate after the edge of the sign has been raised to clear the flange. An important feature of my invention is that the corners of the plate are cut off diagonally at 21 and 28 and the slides not ex tended to a jiifietion with the retaining flange.

' 3;? reason as the above assented construction it will be seen that a user may readily grasp one or a trailing edge of a card and push it into place. The leading portion of the side edges of the card passes into slides 2i and 22 as the card is pushed towar'e'il its final position and at the last stage of 2 3. The thereupon releases the trailing edge Among the objects of this invention is the pro- I vision of a device such as outlined above and described at length hereinafter. Other objects, advantages and characteristics will be evident from the following portion of this specification, the acccmpanying drawings and the sub-joined claims Although I am showing a preferred form only of my invention for purposes of illustration it will be understood that changes can readily be made without departing from the scope ofmy broader claims or the spirit of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my invention. I,

Figure 2 is a partial isometric view with a re. movable card in position. u

Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows a user removing a card preparatory to the intro duction of afresh card.

Figure 4 shows a modificationwherein my sign, generally of relatively small size, is made from one piece of metal (or alternatively from a plastic). 7 v V H g A card or sign holding flat plate I l preferably formed of metal such as aluminum or a nona-rust ing steel alloy is supported by a post or stake v1A having a sharpened point 13 and a cross bar I4 In order to increase its strength and solidity when forced into the ground this post in cross section may be. either T-shaped or right angled, such rearward projection from the front flat surface not being shown. It is riveted or welded to the card holding plate or for certain uses as stated above may be formed integrally therewith. See

Figure 4. I

The edges of plate II are turned over to form an upper holding groove or slide 2 I, a lower hold ing slide 22 and a side holding slide 23. It will be noted from the drawing that each of these slides includes a first surface which projects directly away from the body of the holding plate vI I. at right angles thereto and in the same direction as the other slides and then a second surface .which is turned back upon itself. toward the other slides at right angles to the first surface and in aplane parallel to that of the holding plate so that they form holding instrumentalities or slides into which a plate board card or sign such as 23 may readily be inserted. A fourth edge 26, however, is turned only at right angles from the plane of the card holder itself to form a retaining flange. Thus the first mentioned formation form slides which guide a card or other sign in a moveiiient substantially parallel to the plane or the plate within the limits of the area of thplate while preventing its movmfitih a direction rigrifiai thereto while the rest ifih'ti'ohed retaining sense of the card and its natural resilience under normal conditions immediately snaps it completely into place. Otherwise he may merely push i t into place against the plane of the plate ll Then when he wishes to remove the sign to substitute a new signhe merely grasps the one previously on display by the upper and lower P corners as clearly shown in Figure 3, making use of the cut-off cornersjfl and 2 3 lifts it or pushes it above the limits of flange 26 and pulls it out, the edges sliding along in grooves 2 and 22. Q

N The construction ofFigure 4. will be clear from the preceding portion of this description. 7 th m di 1 m ive tiqnv e dii' r tion comprises aflat carjd holdingplate 4i) and a support or post formation with a point 42 and a right-angled extension 43 to give rigidity and better holding quality in the ground. The plate is formed with parallel slides 44 and 45, an end slide or groove 46 and retaining flange 4! turned therefrom as previously described. A difference from the previgusly described structure is that thelower slide is broken as at 33 adjacent the junction ofthe post formation and the plate so that the holder may be readily stamped from one sheet, without welding or other joining. Such one-piece construction is a feature of this embodiment of my invention. A cross bar such as 14 may be addedif desired. The corners of the plate are cut off at 50 and 5] for the purposes previously stated; Alternatively this holder may be cast or moulded from a Weather resistant plas= tic material.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my sign holder as rectangular but it may take other shapes as desired; While a rectangular form is most {ambient "and simple, other shaped holders of iithe'r and more five-rams may be made within the seeite 5f irivmien. The shape rhiist be sagh; however, as to include espositiy disposed sli' s;

{is previoiis'ly stated satire signlioide'ris -par= ticiilarly advantageous "fer use in gardens or nurseries or the like. itfars'o may-be used far i sermon mtg bulk produetssucn as bagsof era n or vegetables, or actual insertion into products which are not injured thereby; t maybe an ployed without the supporting post.

The advantages of invention will have been apparent from the oregoing screen at this specification and consideration of the attached rawings and the subjoind claims. They include the provision of a simple, inexpensive holder which may readily be inserted into the grounder other substance wmchmay readily be piercedand removed therefrtm er otherwise supported into which a sig'zieasili may be inserted and remcvea;

I claim:

1. In a sign holder adapted for outdoor use, a generally rectangular solid plate, slides along three of the edges thereof for the reception of the edges of a card sign, the ends of said slides adjacent each other being substantially contiguous, a right angled flange along the fourth edge, said right angled flange and said relatively adjacent slides terminating at a relatively short distance from each other, the corners of said plate between the relatively adjacent ends of said flange and said slide being cut oil diagonally to permit a user to push the card sign away from the plane of said plate in a direction normal thereto, said substantially continuous arrangement of slides and flange and said solid plate minimizing the effect of wind and other weather conditions upon said card sign.

2. In a sign holder adapted for outdoor use for the interchangeable reception of card signs, a plate with a solid back with one edge cut off at each corner and of suflicient size only to permit a user to grasp corners of a card sign, a right angled flange extending between said out off corners along said edge, and slides along the remaining and opposite edges of said plate which extend to said out off corners and substantially to junctions with each other at their relatively adjacent ends, said slides being adapted for the reception of the edges of a card sign which is retained against movement directly parallel to said plate by said flange.

3. In a sign holder adapted for outdoor use, a plate with a solid back and with one edge cut off at each corner, a right angled flange integral with said plate and extending along said edge between said corners and substantially co-extensive with said edge, slides along the remaining and opposite edges of said plate which extend to said out off corners and form a substantially continuous sleeve co-extensive with the three edges adjacent thereto for the reception of the edges of a card sign, and a post extending from one of said edges for supporting said holder in the ground.

4. A sign holder and a supporting formation therefor comprising a single sheet of metal, said sheet including a generally rectangular plate, a retaining flange projecting at right angles from one edge of said plate, slides along other and adjacent edges of said plate, said slides each comprising a first surface extending from said plate at right angles to the plane thereof and parallel to the projecting surface of said flange and a second surface extending from said first surface at right angles thereto and toward the interior of said plate and parallel to the plane thereof, and a post or supporting formation extending from one edge of said plate whereby said plate may be inserted in the ground, said slide which projects from said edge of said plate from which said formation extends being broken away from that portion of said edge immediately adjacent said post formation so that said holder including said support or post formation may be formed in a single operation.

5. A sign holder and support formation therefor comprising an integral structure, said structure including a sign-supportin plate with two relatively adjacent corners cut oif, such cut off portions being only large enough to permit fingers of a hand to grasp a card placed on said sign-supporting plate, a retaining flange projecting at right angles from said edge of said plate and extending between said cut-off corners, said flange being integral with said plate, slides along other and opposite edges of said plate which also extend to said out off corners, said slides each comprising a first surface extending from said plate at right angles to the plane thereof and parallel to the projecting surface of said flange and a second surface extending from said first surface at right angles thereto and toward the interior of said plate parallel to the plane thereof, said slides also being integral with said plate, whereby a user may move a sign of sub stantially the area of said plate which has been slipped within said slides away from said plate in a direction normal to the plane thereof so that it clears the top edge of said retaining flange preparatory to its removal from said holder, and a post or support formation extending from said plate and integral therewith whereby said plate may be inserted in the ground.

6. In a sign holder adapted for outdoor use, a generally rectangular plate with a solid back surface, slides integral therewith along three of the edges thereof for the reception of a card sign, said slides at their adjacent ends substantially meeting thereby forming a substantially continuous retaining formation for engaging three of the edges of a card sign, open ends of said formation being disposed adjacent each end of the other or fourth edge of said plate, a right angled flange integral with said plate disposed along said fourth edge and substantially co-extensive therewith for retaining the fourth edge of said'card against movement parallel to the surface of said plate, the corners of said plate adjacent the open ends of said slides and between them and the ends of said flange being cut out sufficiently only to provide a finger hold by which a card sign can be lifted over the outer edge of said flange and drawn out in a direction generally parallel to the plane of said plate.

FRANK HESSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,995 Duncan Feb. 11, 1902 1,698,547 Hopp et al. Jan. 8, 1929 1,768,715 Hopp et al. July 1, 1930 1,813,059 Lee July 7, 1931 2,334,083 Greenwald Nov. 9, 1943 

